A review of GRDC’s historic and current grain legume D&E investment

Reference number: PROC-9177138

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Release date:: Friday 18 October 2024
Closing time:: Friday 22 November 2024, at 05:00 PM ACT local time
Enquiry deadline:: Friday 15 November 2024, at 05:00 PM ACT local time

Summary

There have been four major demonstration and extension investments running since 2020 which have linked to the National pulse adaptability investment (NAPA). These projects have been conducting small plot and paddock scale trials to improve the agronomic understanding of how to the reduce the economic yield gap of grain legume crops. The project teams have also been undertaking economic analysis of the trial data to ensure growers can see the economic value of grain legumes to their overall farm profitability, both in the year of crop and the benefits to following crops.

This consultancy is required to review the current projects, analyse the impact of the projects and offer suggestions for the pathway forward in pulse investments for GRDC.

The consultancy will be open tender to evaluate the market for organisations able to undertake reviews of this style of investments.

Offer period

Offers will remain open for acceptance by the GRDC for a period of 6 months after the Closing Time.

Document contact and enquiries

Attention: Laura Baugh
Grains Research and Development Corporation
Email: western@grdc.com.au

Make all requests for further information or clarification in relation to this procurement in writing (email) prior to 15 November 2024.

GRDC will publish all requests and responses to requests on the GRDC website under Questions and Answers at the bottom of this webpage.

Consortia response

GRDC will not accept Tenders from Consortia.

Lodgement of Tender

Submit your Tender response electronically through the Grains Investment Portal.

AusTender

https://www.tenders.gov.au/admin/Advert/Show/33c1843d-e4fd-49fa-9fb9-771f8050f4ba

Description

This consultancy is required to review the current projects, analysis the impact of the projects and offer suggestions for the pathway forward in pulse investments for GRDC.

The consultancy will be open tender to test the market for organisations able to undertake reviews of this suite of investments.

Outcome

Outputs

Outputs	Description
Output 1 By 15th June 2025, a review of the grain legume development and extension projects will be completed	This investment will conduct a review of the four current, regionally specific, grain legume development and extension (GLDE) investments. These projects have been contracted with Brill Ag (BRA2105-001RTX), Grower Group Alliance (GGA2110-002SAX), Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (Ag Vic) (DJP2105-006RTX), University of Adelaide (UOA2105-013RTX). This review will cover: How did the projects deliver impact to growers What was the impact of the projects for each specific crop Did the investment close the economic yield gap Did the investment create a shift in growers’ motivation to grow more legumes How did all of the projects work together Did the project teams work with the NAPA project. Where are the current gaps for future investment This review will conduct interviews with the GRDC investment managers, and project partners including the National Pulse Adaptability project (NAPA) team members. It will also interview three growers from each region who have been involved directly in the project. The review will be delivered as a final report back to GRDC. The final report will provide information that describes the review activities, summarises the interview data, discusses and makes recommendations based on the results of interviews and other research. The report will also deliver new monitoring and evaluation metrics that can be used in the next iteration of investments in this area.

Description

Output 1

By 15th June 2025, a review of the grain legume development and extension projects will be completed

This investment will conduct a review of the four current, regionally specific, grain legume development and extension (GLDE) investments. These projects have been contracted with Brill Ag (BRA2105-001RTX), Grower Group Alliance (GGA2110-002SAX), Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (Ag Vic) (DJP2105-006RTX), University of Adelaide (UOA2105-013RTX).

This review will cover:

How did the projects deliver impact to growers
What was the impact of the projects for each specific crop
Did the investment close the economic yield gap
Did the investment create a shift in growers’ motivation to grow more legumes
How did all of the projects work together
Did the project teams work with the NAPA project.
Where are the current gaps for future investment

This review will conduct interviews with the GRDC investment managers, and project partners including the National Pulse Adaptability project (NAPA) team members. It will also interview three growers from each region who have been involved directly in the project. The review will be delivered as a final report back to GRDC. The final report will provide information that describes the review activities, summarises the interview data, discusses and makes recommendations based on the results of interviews and other research. The report will also deliver new monitoring and evaluation metrics that can be used in the next iteration of investments in this area.

Proposed Budget

Proposed Contract & Term

GRDC will contract under the terms of the Consultancy Contract.

The schedule(s) attached to the contract will detail the project details: the outcomes, outputs, milestones, budget, participating personnel and required intellectual property.

The template contract containing the proposed Terms and Conditions is available on the Application resources page on the GRDC website.

It is anticipated that any resultant contract in relation to this procurement will commence with a proposed term of 7 months.

Conditions for Participation

The following are mandatory conditions with which a Tenderer must comply to participate in this procurement process:

The Tenderer must be a single legal entity or recognised firm of partners
The Tenderer and any proposed subcontractor must be compliant with the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012, the Modern Slavery Act 2018 and any other applicable labour laws and standards in the jurisdiction in which they operate.
The Tenderer and any subcontractor must not have a judicial decision against it (not including decisions under appeal) relating to employee entitlements and who have not paid the claim.
The Tenderer and any subcontractor must not be named on the Consolidated List, being the list of persons and entities who are subject to targeted financial sanctions or travel bans under Australian sanction laws, as maintained by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Minimum Form and Content Requirements

The following are the mandatory content and format requirements that the Tenderer must complete and provide to participate in this procurement process:

Submit Tenders using the Grains Investment Portal.
Write Tenders in English and express any measurements in Australian legal units of measurement.
Budget details must be submitted on the ‘GRDC Budget Template’ provided in the Grains Investment Portal.

Evaluation Criteria

In the table below are the Evaluation Criteria that the Tender Evaluation Team will use to assess the value for money of all Tenders.

No	Type	Weighting
1	A clear and thorough plan to deliver the project outcome, specifying: a) expected steps to deliver the outcome (pathway to market) b) specific information to be delivered to target users c) potentials gaps in knowledge and current investments	50%
2	A clear and thorough plan to achieve the project outputs, specifying: a) method to be used (including anticipated statistical analysis capacity) b) proposed milestones c) staffing (including relevant skills, experience and availability of key personnel and proposed subcontractors) d) budget (defining the funds sought in each year of the project and the potential investment from all parties) e) project structure and management arrangements	50%
2	Price - The tendered budget.	N/A
3	Risk - Risks inherent in the application including the degree of compliance with the draft contract and any actual or perceived conflict of interest.	N/A
4	Australian economy - The economic benefit of the procurement to the Australian economy.	N/A

Lodging a Tender

Questions and Answers

Q1. Is there a requirement to visit the sites of the demonstration project?

A1. There is no requirement to visit the trial sites for this review.

Q2. Can all consultations be conducted via video/audio?

A2. The methodology for consultation is at the discretion of the applicant and should be detailed in the application.

Q3. What is the nature of the economic analysis of the trial data that has been undertaken for each project by the project teams?

A3. The economic analysis has been varied and will differ according to each project. Details of the economic analysis will be provided to the successful applicant, however existing data from a range of sources includes: crop production data, ex ante benefit cost analysis and assumptions, yield gap data and qualitative grower practices data, transect survey data in some locations, and qualitative behaviour change data.

Q4. What control data is available for any baseline comparison of the trial data?

A4. This will vary project to project on what baseline data is available. Data relevant to a ‘control’ will be specific to the methodology proposed by the applicant and as such is difficult to answer. This will be discussed with the preferred applicant in the negotiation phase.

Q5. How many GRDC investment managers, and project partners including the National Pulse Adaptability project (NAPA) team members need to be interviewed?

A5. There are five GRDC investment managers and five D&E project partners (WA,SA, Vic and NSW) and the CSIRO NaPA team to be interviewed.

Q6. Note that the title of the Review is "A review of GRDC’s historic and current grain legume D&E investment”, however in the supporting text, notably under ’Summary’ and ‘Outputs'' it appears to have a focus only on four current investments that are listed.

Is this review to only include the four investments listed, or is it to include previous (historic) investments as well? If historic investments are to be included, will GRDC identify these, so applicants are clear on exactly how many investments are to be included in the review.

A6. The review will focus on the four current investments, however, if the proposed methodology requires data from previous investments, GRDC will provide this in negotiation with the successful applicant.

Q7. Assuming only the four investments listed in the Request of Tender are to be reviewed, what documents will GRDC be providing to the review? It is expected that various reports from the investments, including Annual Progress Reports, Final Technical Reports, supporting extension and communication material, details of contracted Outcome and Outputs. Can GRDC confirm what documents will be provided to the Review?

A7. All reports generated as part of the four current projects, along with internal economic analysis and any previous review material will be provided to the successful applicant.

Q8. A review would seek to take input from the relevant investment leaders, the appropriate GRDC investment managers and other involved stakeholders or consultants/agronomists. To what degree will GRDC assist with identifying key people to be interviewed and help with contact details / setting up meetings and similar?

A8. GRDC is happy to provide contact details of key stakeholders to the successful applicant but will not be responsible for setting up meetings.

Q9. Does GRDC have any supporting data on adoption of the Outcomes from these investments, for example areas of the various grain legume crops since the investments were initiated, any survey data about grower adoption, attitudes or similar about grain legume growing? If so, will this data be made available to the review?

A9. This will vary project to project on what baseline data is available. Data relevant to a ‘control’ will be specific to the methodology proposed by the applicant and as such is difficult to answer. This will be discussed with the preferred applicant in the negotiation phase.

Q10. Can I please confirm that the sites of interest for this review are as described in article [Fit for purpose research targets pulse profitability - GroundCover] Linked?

A10. The article referenced does correctly highlight the investments in each region. There are many trial sites within each region, trialling a range of different treatments.